Well-plugging apparatus



A1 T., RUTHVEN. WELi. PL'UGGING APPARATUSl APPLICATION man nmz, 1.918.

Patented June 192@ 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Al T. RUTHVEN. WELL PLUGGNG APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DECJ. 191B.

mama June 8, 19260.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

fw, ATTORNEY.

FIEE@A ARTHUR T. RUTHVEN, 0F KANSAS CITY, MISSORI.

WELL-PLUGGING APPARATUS.

Lacasse.,

Application filed December 7, 1918. Serial VNO, 265,766.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR T. Rp'rHvnN, a citizen of the United States,resldmg at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and,

State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inWell- Plugging Apparatus, of which the yfollowing is a specification. I

In drilling oil wells it sometimes happens that the drill is run througha stratum of rock separating the oil sand from an underlying sheet ofwater which latter then floods the former and renders the well uselessunless the aperture through the rock can be sealed. `0n other occasionsthe drill is run below a paying' oil sand in the hope that a betterproducing sandwill be found at a lower level, but when expectations arenot realized it is desirable to plug the well at the bottom of the layerof paying sand to prevent the oil running down to the bottom of thewell. f

By the use of my apparatus the aperture in the rock can be quickly andeffectually plugged, or a false bottom may be formed in the well at thebottom of the paying sand and thus prevent wastage of oil and ofttimestotal abandonment of a well.

.In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference will nowbe made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a broken, vertical, sectional view of a well with myapparatus in operative relation thereto, and in position to plug anorifice in a layer of rockin the well.

lEig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the ap aratus. Y

ig. 3 is a cross sectional view of a sack or flexible container, on lineIII- III of Fig'. 2Q

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional viewof a well with the apparatus inpositionto formy a false bottom in said well. Referring now in detail tothe various parts, A. designates an oil well extending through a stratumof oil sandl B and communicatin with a sheet of water C through anorifice in a layer of rock E, which was pierced during the drillingoperation.

F, designates a derrick of ordinary or preferred form mounting awindlass G embodying a shaft 1 journaled in bearings 2 and united by aswivel or other coupling 3 lto a pipe 5, which leads to a pump or atank(not shown) containing compressed air or other fluid under pressure;

The shaft l is hollow from the coupling 3 to a short section of pipe 7extending radially through the drum of the 'windlass and curved at itsouter end in order that it may be readily connected to the upper end ofa tubular cable 9, which is of such construction that it will notcollapse or flatten out and cut off the flow of fluid therethrough whenwound upon the windlass G.

The lower end of the cable 9 is connected to the upper end of acontainer 11, consisting, preferably, of sheet metal and provided at itsreduced lower end with a coupling member 13, for engagement with acoupling member 15 at the upper end of a flexible container or sack 17.

The coupling member 13 fits loosely over the coupling member 15, whichhas a laterally projecting pin 19 for entrance into a bayonet slot 20,in said coupling member 13. The foregoing connection reliably securesthe flexible container 17 to the container 11, and permits the latter tobe uncoupled from the former while in position in a well, as willhereinafter appear.

The flexible container 17 may be of suitable material such as rubber,canvas, leather, etc., and has longitudinal folds 22, so` that it mayexpand radially for the purpose of plugging the well. The flexiblecontainer 17 is prevented from expanding or stretching longitudinally,by one or more cables 24 secured at their lower ends to the lower end ofthe flexible container 17 and secured at their upper ends to thecoupling member 15.

26 designates a valve which is normally held to its seat in the couplingmember 15 by a coil spring 28, to retain the fluid lunder pressure inthe flexible container 17.

In practice, should the drill ierce the layer of rock E, as disclosed on4ig. 1, and thus permit the underlying water to flow upwardly throughthe orifice D and flood the oil sand B, said orifice D is plugged asfollows .A small amount of cementitious or other sealing material I-I isplaced in the flexible container 17 to weight down its lower end, so'that it may readily pass down into vthe well. The container 11 is then'su u plied with cementitious materialv I in su cient amount to nearly llthe flexible container 17. The two containers are then/r y cable 9,until the flexible container 17, is ap- .tainer 11 is hoisted from thewell.

within the flexible container 17 The cable l' 9 is then grasped at thetop of the'well and rotated until 4the container 11 1s turnedsufficiently to disengage its slotted portion 20 from the'pin 19,whereupon said con-l As the flexible container 17 is left in the orificeD the latter isl permanently sealed by said container 11 and the cementtherein, which sets andbecomes hard. Thus the flow of water 4into theoil bearing sand B through the orifice D is eflectually cut oil".

In case the drill is run below a stratumbf oil producing sand, such asB', Fig. 4, with Y the expectationof locating a better paying 17 is thenexpanded by the material from stratum at a lower level and suchexpectation is not realized, it becomes desirable to form a false`bottom fn the well atthe bottom of the oil bearing sand B in order thatthe oil may be economically recovered. This is'accomplished by enlargingthe diameter of the well as at K, with 4'an underreamer or othersuitable tool. The two containers .with the sealing material arethen'lowered into the well as before-described until the flexiblecontainer 17 is at the enlarged portion K of the well.` The flexiblecontainer the container 11 and the fluid introduced through the cable 9,until said container 17 fits tightly within thevenlarged portion K ofthe well. The container 11 is. then luncoupled from the flexiblecontainer 17 which is permitted to .remainin the well and on becominghard forms a substantial false Vbottom which prevents the oil fromflowing to the lower end of the well.

The cement orother material put in the i container 11 may be previouslymixed with s watero'rit mayv be'placed in said container in a dry state,in which event water instead of air is'jffintroduced through the cable 9to 'mix with-'the cement and force it from the containerizllinto'. theflexible container 17. In some instances it may be desirable to`dispensey with the container 11 and connect the cable 9 directly to theflexible container -17,.in .which case cement may be introduced4 in adrystate into saidcontainer 17 through the cable 9 followed by waterto bemixed withthe cement,'or mortar in a. semiliquid statemay be used`but'care'must then be exercised to clean out the cable 9 before suchmortar hardens therein.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that I have producedsimple and efiicient means whereby a well may be effectually plugged atany desired point, and while I have siliown and described the preferredform of apparatus for accomplishing results above described, I retainllthe right to make such changes in the construction, combination andarrangementjof parts n as properly fall within the spirit and scope ofthe claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to' secureby Letters Patent, is:

1. In an apparatus ofthe character 'described, a flexible containeradapted to hold a sealing material for plugging a well, and

means for introducing a fluid into said flexible container to force thesame firmly into engagement with the wall of the well.`

- 2. In an Iapparatus of the character vdescribed, a flexible containeradapted to holdl a cementitious material for pluggin a well,

and means for lowering said flexi le container'and introducing fluidtherein to force the same firmly against the wall of the well.

3. In an apparatus of the character `described, a sack adapted to holda' cementihtious material for plugging awell, and a tubular cable forlowering said flexible conltainer and introducing fluid therein to forcethe same firmly against the wall of the well.

, 4. In an apparatus ofthe character described, a flexible containeradapted to hold a sealing material for plugging a well, means forlintroducing a'fluid under pressureinto said flexible container to forcethe same firmly into engagement'with the wall of the ing from theflexiblecontainer.

5'. In an apparatus of the character described, a flexible containeradapted to hold a cementitious material for plugging a well, a tubularcable for introduclng a fluid under pressure into said flexiblecontainer to force thesame firmly into engagement with the wall of thewell, and means to prevent the fluid escaping from the flexiblecontainer. 6. In an apparatus of the character described, a flexiblecontainer adapted to hold well, and means to prevent the fluid escapacementitious material for plugging a well,

a tubular. cable for introducing a fluid under pressure into said.flexible container to force thesame firmly into4 engagement with thewall of the well, and a valve to prevent the"A fluid escaping from theflexible container.

7. In an apparatus of the character described, a flexible containeradapted to hold c a sealing material for plugging a well,

ble container to force' the same firml into engagement with the wall ofthe wel and means withinthe flexible 'container to premeans forintroducing a fluid into said flexivent the same from stretchingvertically When the fluid is introduced therein.

8. In an apparatus of the character described, a flexible containeradapted to hold a Asealing material for plugging a Well, means forintroducing a fluid under pressure into said flexible container to forcethe same firmly into engagement with the Wall of the Well, means toprevent the fluid escaping from the flexible container, and a cable toreinforce the flexible container and prevenlt the same from expandinglongitudinal y.

9. In an apparatus of the character described, a flexible containeradapted to hold a sealing material for plugging a well, and a secondcontainer lsecured .to the first contairlier to supply the same withsealing materia 10. In an apparatus of the character described, aflexible container adapted to hold a cementitious material for sealing aWell, a second container secured to the first container to supply thesame with sealing material, and means for introducing-fluid underpressure into said second containe'i"""to force the material thereininto the flexible container for the purpose described.

l1. In an apparatus of the character described, a'sack adapted to hold acementitious material for sealing a Well, a container secured to saidsack to supply the same with lcementitious material, and a self closingvalve to admit the material from said container into the sack.

12. In an apparatus of the character dematerial for sealing a Well, andmeans for lowering said container into the Well and supplying it withsealing material.

14. In an apparatus of the character described, a flexible containeradapted to hold material for sealing a Well, means Jfor loweringv saidcontainer into the Well and supplying it with sealing material, andmeans to preventl the material escaping from the container.

15. Inan apparatus of the character dcscribed, a flexible containeradapted to hold material for sealing a Well, means for loWering saidcontainer into the Well and supplying it With sealing material, andmeans to prevent the container from stretching longitudinally.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

ARTHUR T. RUTHVEN. lVitnesses: t

F. G. FISCHER, I1. J FISCHER.

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